Egg opener with pneumatic shelling means



April 5, 1949. L. GAYLOR EGG OPENER WITH PNEUMATIC SHELLING MEANS Filed May 51, 1946 I n r111 LEON GAYLOR Patented Apr. 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EGG OPENER WITH PNEUMATIC SHELLING MEANS 3 Claims.

My invention relates generally to improvements in means for opening the shells of boiled eggs and removing the contents thereof, and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved device for this purpose whereby these operations may be performed more efficiently, reliably, and quickly, upon either hot or cold boiled eggs,

Another important object of my invention is to provide a device of the character indicated above which can be made in a simple, strong and efficient form from low cost materials, and which can be readily taken apart for cleaning.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration, a preferred embodiment is set forth in detail.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Figure 2 is an end elevation loo-king from left to right in Figure 1, showing the blade or cutter in retracted or initial position.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal section taken through Figure 1 and showing the force pump and the perforated egg shell puncturing means.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view showing the blade or cutter pivot support.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral 5 generally designates a reclining L-shaped sheet metal bracket, having a downward returnbent portion 6 provided with a thumb screw 1 for attaching the bracket to a suitable support (not shown). The upright foot portion 8 of the bracket, which like the standard portion 9 is relatively wide, as seen in Figure 2, has attached to its outer side the closed pump cylinder Ill, having the piston I I provided with the piston rod l2 extended through the top of the cylinder and having a handle l3.

A tubular egg shell-puncturing or piercing point It is mounted through the bracket foot portion 8, as shown in Figure 3, with its outer end in communication with the interior of the vacuum cylinder below its piston H, and with its inner end extending through the center of a rubber suction cup l5 mounted on the inner surface of the bracket foot 8.

The piercing point Hi terminates in a cone [6 provided with air openings H, which extends inwardly from the surrounding surface of the suction cup .I 5.

The blade or cutter assembly which is generally designated I8 comprising a vertical transverse plate l9 constituting a tail-piece, which is slidably mounted on two laterally spaced rods 20 and 2|, which project from the bracket foot 8, for movement toward and away from said bracket foot, the rods extending through bushings 22 and 23, respectively, on the plate IS, with a locking set screw 2 whereby the tail-piece can be locked in adjusted position.

The inner side of the lower part of the tailpiece to left of its middle, as shown in Figure 2, is a headed stud 25 acting as pivotal mounting for the lower end of the blade or cutter 25, whose lower end is slotted at 2'! to engage the pivot, whereby the blade can be readily removed for cleaning, replacement, and/or reversing.

The blade or cutter 26 has intermediate its ends the opposite triangular egg shell-cutting portions 28 which enable the blade to cut when swung in either direction on its pivot, and the upper part of the blade below its handle 29 works along the face of the tail-piece behind the guide bar 39 suitably spaced therefrom and secured at its ends, as indicated at 3L The tail-piece It has axially aligned with the cup l5 a circular opening 32, whose outer side is equipped with a cushion washer 33.

In operation, the large end of an egg 34 is seated in the tail-piece opening 32, with the thumb screw 24 loose, and the'tailpiece is then moved toward the bracket foot 8 until the smaller end of the egg seats in the cup I5 and is pierced by the point M. The set screw 24 is then tightened to hold the position.

The pump handle I3 is then held in one hand, and the blade 26 is then pulled across with the other hand so as to slice off the larger end of the eg 34, and then swung back to original or starting position. The pump handle I 3 is then pressed down so as to force compressed air through the holes I! in the cone 16 of the piercing point l4 and thereby cleanly blow the contents of the egg shell, whole and entire, out of the cut off end, to be caught in a suitable receptacle (not shown) placed in position to receive same.

The thumb screw 24 is then loosened, the tailpiece moved sufiiciently away from the bracket foot 8 to free the egg shell and the next egg is placed and operated upon as described above.

If desired, the pump may be substituted by any other type of air pressure developing means (not shown).

I claim:

1. An egg opener comprising a support including a vertical member having projecting horiv zontally therefrom a slideway,

zontally therefrom a slideway, a tail-piece mounted on said slideway for sliding movement toward and away from said vertical member, releasable means for locking said tail-piece in a selected position along said slideway, said tailpiece being formed with an opening in which the larger end of an egg may seat and project beyond the side of said tail-piece, a blade pivoted on the ;side of the tail-piece and arranged to be swung across said opening to shear oil the projecting portion of the egg shell, a cup on said vertical member arranged to seat the smaller end of the egg shell when said tail-piece is adjusted along said slideway to press the smaller end of the egg shell therein, a perforated tubular egg piercing point exposed within said cup for perforating the egg shell as the egg shell is forced into position in said cup, and an air pump on said member and connected to said piercing point for blowing the contents of said egg shell "through the sheared-off larger end thereof.

2. An egg opener comprising a support including a vertical member having projecting horia tail-piece mounted on said slideway for sliding movement toward and away from said vertical member, re-

leasable means for locking said tail-piece in a selected position along said slideway, said tail- :piece being .formed with an opening in which'the larger end of an egg may seat and project beyond the side of said tail-piece, a blade pivoted on the side of the tail-piece and arranged to be swung across said opening to shear off the projecting portion of the egg shell, a cup on said vertical member arranged to seat the smaller end of the egg shell when said tail-piece is adjusted along said slideway to press the smaller end of the egg shell therein, a perforated tubular eggpiercing point exposed within said cup for perforating the egg shell, as the egg shell is forced into position, in said cup, and an air pump on said member and connected to said piercing point for blowing the contents of said egg shell through the sheared-on larger end thereof, said blade being removably mounted on said tailpiece, and a guide mounted across and spaced from said tail-piece for guiding the cutting action of said blade.

3. An egg opener comprising a support including a vertical member having projecting horizontally therefrom a slideway, a tail-piece mounted on said slideway for sliding movement toward and away from said vertical member, releasable means for locking said tail-piece in a selected position along said slideway, said tailpiece being formed with an opening in which the larger end of an egg may seat and project beyond the side of said tail-piece, a blade pivoted on the side of the tail-piece and arranged to be through the sheared-off larger end thereof, said" blade having cutting portions on opposite sides and being reversible to employsaid cutting portions selectively.

LEON GAYLOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 963,407 Uhlier July 5, 1910 1,184,499 Wilhermsdorfer May 23, 1916 

